This invention belongs to the field of locking mechanisms, particularly the kind used for recreational vehicles which must be extremely compact and secure to hold a closure such as a door or hatch closed even while the vehicle is in motion.
In recreational vehicles such as motor homes, travel trailers, campers, sports cars, and the like, there are very special requirements for doors, hatches, and trunk lids. Walls and doors are thin, making it impractical to use locks and latches designed for relatively thicker, stationary structures. Further, the possibility of death, injury, and property damage due to accidental opening while the vehicle is in motion requires positive locking security far beyond that required in a building structure. Yet, in spite of special safety requirements for conventional vehicle locking mechanisms, people continue to be killed or injured by falling out of moving vehicles when doors and hatches open accidentally.